Dumping device for buckets



Sept. 27, 1949. M, AADA MS 2,482,829

DUMPING DEVICE FOR BUCKETS BY v 4 TToR/vf YS Sept. 27, 1949. ML A. ADAMS 2,482,829

DUMPING DEVICE FOR BUCKETS JNVENTOR. MOZEL A. ADAMS ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 27, 1949 DUMPING` DEVICE FOR BUCKETS Mozel A. Adams, Rayne, La., assignor of one-half to Carroll V. Radke, Jennings, La.

Application March 30, 1948, Serial No. 17,896

4 claims. (C1. 37-135) This invention relates to a dumping devicefor excavating buckets. Y

An object of the invention .is the provision of a dumping device for excavating buckets in which the bucket is supported by a piston tending to move downwardly with the loaded bucket against the resistance of a compression spring,v a pulley being carried by a support for the spring with a cable trained over the pulley and connected between one end of the bucket and afdrag line for the bucket, said bucket when being released of its load being maintained in a Vstate of agitation so that the materials collected in the bucket will be fully discharged therefrom. l

A further object of the invention is the provision of a dumping device for excavating buckets in which a compression spring in a cylinder not only resists downward movement of the bucket when loaded but tends to agitate said bucket for discharging all of the materials from the bucket, the agitation being increased by a pulley carried by the cylinder and a cable trained on the pulley, said cable having its ends connected between the bucket anda 'drag'line the cylinder being 'attached to the hoist with a piston in the cylinder acting on the spring and connected in supporting relation with the bucket.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the arrangement for supporting and dumping an eX- cavating bucket with parts in section,

Figure 2 is a side view in elevation of the dumping arrangement for the bucket and disclosing the bucket in dumping position,

Figure 3 is a vertical section of a modified form of a resilient supporting means for a loaded bucket, and

Figure 4 is a rear end view in elevation of the loaded bucket.

Referring more particularly to the drawings Il) designates a bucket having a cutting edge Il at the forward end. Both the forward and rear ends are open so that the soil is forced through the front end towardsY the rear end and is dis.

charged from the rear (Figure 2) when the bucket is tilted. Drag chains I2 and I3 are attached in spaced relation with side walls I4 and l5 of the bucket and with a draw plate i6 to which is connected the usual drag line I'1. The bucket has a transverse member i8 at the upper portion of the forward end connecting the front ends of the side walls together.

A pair of vertically aligned barrels or cylinders 255 and 2l have their adjacent ends threaded into a connecting sleeve 22. A piston 23 including a` rod 2d is slidably mounted in the cylinder 20 with the lower end of the rod projecting through a closure 25 and provided with an external eye 26. A nipple for lubricating the cylinder is shown at 2l. A -compression spring 28 has one end abutting the piston while the other end rests on the closure 25. Said spring surrounds the rod 24.

The cylinder 2| rises from the cylinder 20 and houses a piston 3u upon which is seated a compression spring 3l embracing a rod 32 connected to said piston. The rod passes through the upper closed end of the cylinder 2l and is provided with an eye 33 to which is attached a hoisting cable 34. A disk 35 is slidable on the rod 32 for engagement with the eye 33 when said eye moves downwardly onto the closed end of the cylinder 2l] to prevent injury to said end. A disk 36 is adapted to be engaged by the eye 25 to protect the closure 25 from injury. .l

A pair of chainslll have the inner ends connected to the eye 26 while the 'outer ends are connected to the forward ends of a pair of parallel spreader bars 4I adjacent the front end of the bucket. A pair of chains 42 have theinner ends connected to the eye 26 while the rear ends are attached to the rearrends of the bars 4I. Chains 43 are connected between the front ends of the bars 4'I and the upper forward edges of the side walls I4 and l5 of the bucket Ill. Chains 44 support the lower rear ends of the side walls from the rear ends of the spreader bars 4|.

A pulley 45 is rotatably mounted on an axle 46 carried by a bracket 4'! projecting radially from the cylinder 20 and rigid therewith. A cable o1' dump line has one end secured at 5I to the draw plate l 6. Said cable is trained on the pulley 45 and the other end thereof is secured at 52 to the transverse member l of the bucket.

A modified and simplified form of the spring suspension means shown in Figures 1 and 2 is illustrated in Figure 3. In this form only one cylinder 20a. is employed and it contains the piston 23, rod 24 and the compression spring 28. The upper open end of thel cylinder is closed by a cap threaded onto the cylinder. An eye 56 is adapted to receive the hoisting cable 34. Said cylinder is also provided with the bracket 41, pulley 45 and the entrained dumping cable 50.

The operation of my device is as follows: When the bucket I0 has been filled with dirt, the bucket is raised by the hoisting cable 34 while the drag line I1 is progressively released. Holding the drag line taut will cause tilting of the bucket to discharge the load.

However, when the loaded bucket is raised the springs 28 and 3l will be compressed (Figure 2). The sudden release of the load or partial load will tend to cause the springs to return to normal. This quick reaction of said springs will agitate the bucket so that the remainder of the load will be discharged. If the materials are not comn pletely thrown out, the operator may raise and lower the bucket in quick succession 'and the agi tation caused by the springs will empty the bucket. The arrangement is particularly effective 'for ejecting materials when the soil is moist and when clay is encountered.

W'hen the ground is diicult to dig, the operatcr may raise and lower the hoisting cable to bring the springs into action. The cutting edge i'l of the bucket will dig into the ground as the bucket is tilted and moved up anddown.

It will be appreciated that the 'barrels 2d and 21 may be considered as a single barrel or cylinder, the pistons and the connected rods operating inopposition to each other against theV resistance 'of the compression springs when supporting the loaded bucket.

What :I claim:

l. A dumping device for an excavating bucket, a barrel, a compression spring housed in the barrel, a piston in the barrel, a rod depending from the piston and projecting through the lower end of the barrel, a bucket, means connecting the bucket with the projecting end of the rod, said spring being disposed between the piston and the lower end of the barrel, a pulley mounted externally on the barrel, a drag line connected to 'the bucket, a dumping cable trained over the pulley7 and connected to the drag line and the bucket, n

and a hoisting cable connected to the upper end of the barrel.

2. A dumping device .for an excavating bucket, a hoisting cable, a Vertical barrel having its upm per end connected to the hoisting cable, a coinpression spring in the barrel, a bucket, a piston .in the barrel adapted to move downwardly against 'the spring, means connecting the piston with the .bucket so that the bucket will be supported resiliently by the piston and spring, a pulley mount- 4 ed externally on the barrel, a drag line connected to the bucket, and a dumping cable trained on the pulley and connected between the drag line and the bucket.

3. In an excavating machine having a drag line and a hoisting cable, a bucket raised and lowered by the cable and connected at its lower forward end t0 the drag line, a vertically disposed barrel having its opposite ends closed, opposed pistons in the barrel, a rod connected with each piston, one rod extending upwardly through the 'closed upper end of the barrel and connected to the hoisting cable, the other rod projecting downwardly through the lower closed end of the barrel, flexible means connecting the projecting end of the second rod with the bucket, a compression spring between each piston and a closed end of the barrel for resiliently supporting the bucket and-its load on the cable and providing a means for agitating the load to Acause complete discharge thereof from the bucket, a dump line connected between the drag line and the bucket, and means on the barrel for supporting the dump lin-e and providing for a shifting movement of said line to tilt the bucket.

4. In an excavating machine having a drag line and a hoisting cable, a bucket, ilexibie means supporting the bucket vfrom the hoisting cable comprising a barrel, and resilient means disposed in said barrel and suspended from the cable, spreader bars disposed above the bucket, a piurality of chains connecting the resilient means with the ends of the spreader bars, a plurality of chains connecting the ends of the spreader bars with spaced pointsV on the bucket, a pulley mounted on the barrel, and a dump line trained `over the pulley and having its ends connected to the bucket and the drag line.

MOZEL A. ADAM REFERENCES The Ifollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,580,673 lPage Apr. 13, 1926 2,359,303 Davidson Oct, 3, 1944 

